Too few Walt Disney World fans know about The Kiss Goodnight. If you just thought, “what’s that?” you’re not alone. The Kiss Goodnight is a little over 2-minutes long, and it is the Magic Kingdom’s way of saying “goodbye” to guests at the end of a long day. It usually play every 30 minutes after the park closes (meaning you could see it more than once in a single night–we once saw it 3 times in the same night!), and starts with Cinderella Castle “twinkling” as the music from When You Wish Upon a Star slowly builds.

A narrator then greets the last of the guests in the Magic Kingdom, saying: “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of everyone here at the Magic Kingdom, we thank you for joining us today for a magic gathering of family, friends, fun, and fantasy. We hope your magical journey with us has created wonderful memories that will last a lifetime. Walt Disney said that the Magic Kingdom is a world of imagination, hopes, and dreams. In this timeless land of enchantment, magic and make believe are reborn, and fairy tales come true. The Magic Kingdom is a place for the young and the young at heart. A special place where when you wish upon a star, your dreams can come true. Until we see you again, have a safe trip home. Thank you, and goodnight.”

Here’s a video I shot of The Kiss Goodnight in 2010:

In the Summer of 2008, long before I started this blog, I did a “Top 30 Must-Sees” countdown to our then-annual Walt Disney World trip. On that list, I ranked The Kiss Goodnight as the #2 experience we were looking forward to (#1 was spending time with one another…so The Kiss Goodnight was basically the #1 Disney attraction) on that trip. That ranking and those words still ring true today. Here’s what I said then:

“I think it is safe to say that for something that lasts only about two minutes to be one of the most anticipated experiences at Walt Disney World, it must be pretty special. I think it really goes without saying that for that thing to be the second most anticipated experience at Walt Disney World, especially given the myriad of amazing sights, sounds, tastes, etc., it must be out-of-this-world, jaw-droppingly, insert string of adjectives here, amazing. Such is the Kiss Goodnight, the nightly Cinderella Castle show that occurs thirty minutes after the Magic Kingdom closes (then again an hour after).

The Kiss Goodnight is the proverbial icing on the Cake (Castle!) for us. After a long day in the parks, we can’t help but just stop and watch the Kiss Goodnight, completely frozen and unable to move. For us, the combination of the beautiful light display and hearing about the meaning Walt Disney wanted the parks to have for guests does it every time. We both get choked up. Being in an almost-deserted park as the ‘young at heart’ during Walt’s favorite time of day, we can’t help but think of his influence, and how special it is to walk alone in the last park he envisioned and take it all in. The Kiss Goodnight demonstrates what makes the place inherently special and transcendent of the concept of a “theme park” (Sarah cringes when she hears people call Walt Disney World a theme park, as that phrase truly doesn’t do justice to what the parks are). Simply put, the Kiss Goodnight concisely states and embodies the ‘Magic of Disney.'”

Even though it’s almost impossible to explain, this pretty much sums up why we feel The Kiss Goodnight is so special, and why it gives me goosebumps every time I see it. It’s not an amazing, state-of-the-art attraction. It’s one of those little things that elicits an emotional response from us, and is therefore one of the most important experiences we can have at Walt Disney World. Besides the TTA, it’s likely the “attraction” we experience most on each trip we take to Walt Disney World (despite living in Indiana, closing shift managers at the Magic Kingdom recognize us, so I guess we have a bit of a reputation…).

Even though The Kiss Goodnight is the absolute best time to take photos of Cinderella Castle (due to the lighting), most of the time I just find myself standing there gazing at the Castle in awe, paralyzed by the beauty of the moment. Not everyone will feel the same way. If they were to see it, I suspect most visitors to Walt Disney World would probably shrug it off, thinking it of very little significance in the grand scheme of their trips.

However, I’m convinced that most people who “get” the Disney theme parks would get goosebumps if they were to stand in a mostly-empty Magic Kingdom and watch and listen to this on a tranquil Main Street USA. It’s special not just because you’re in the park at such a peaceful time, essentially by yourself with Cinderella Castle, but also because of the significance of the words in Roy O. Disney’s Walt Disney World opening day dedication speech. The Kiss Goodnight basically embodies and reminds us exactly why it’s so great to be a Disney fan. If you haven’t stayed to experience The Kiss Goodnight before, you should definitely make an effort to do it at least once. It absolutely belongs on everyone’s Disney Bucket List.

Beyond that, being a Disney fan who has seen The Kiss Goodnight makes you part of an exclusive club (we ought to have a secret handshake!). Not many people can muster the stamina it takes to be in the park that late, so those who answer “yes!” when asked if they’ve seen The Kiss Goodnight are almost certainly the most passionate of the passionate Disney fans, who have made the effort to be in the Magic Kingdom during that peaceful and special time of night. You know right when they give that enthusiastic answer that they “get” it. It’s like a knowing nod. Those who have seen The exclusive club is made up entirely of crazy Disney fans, but it’s a very special club, nonetheless!

I have never stuck around long enough to see this, but I have seen many videos of the Kiss Goodnight and it gives me goosebumps every time. I cannot imagine how it’d make me feel after spending a magical day at the parks and closing the day that way. I’m going to go out of my way to experience it in June, definitely!

I don’t want to call it an after-thought on Disney’s part, but it seems like often whomever is in charge of scheduling the Kiss Goodnight(s) forgets to change the times, and SOMETIMES it does play during operating hours. The most common example is when the Magic Kingdom’s hours are extended on the same day. I have never heard it play during Extra Magic Hours, but I’ve never really made a point of being on Main Street on the half hour. Your best bet is staying until 1:30.

My family and I did extra magic hours in June and as we were leaving at 1:30 they did the “kiss”. It was amazing and I absolutely loved it. My Sven year old son and I just stopped mesmerized. Special memory!

I have been to WDW 10 times in the past 12 years and have never seen this! I’m looking foward to seeing this on our upcoming May trip.

One question though…….how late are you able to ENTER the MK? I have two young boys who just won’t be able to stay out that late, but since we are staying close (at the Contemporary) I would be able to come over by myself to see it and take pics.

I’ve wondered that, too. The latest we have entered a park is 10 minutes before it closes. I would try to arrive at least 30 minutes before they close, as you never know if 10 minutes was a fluke, or if the turnstiles are open until the park actually closes.

On a night with an 11:00PM Electrical Parade, some friends and I, fresh from the Swan and Dolphin Classic and thus highly flammable, and looking to meet up with some other friends already in the park, rushed through the turnstiles at 10:58. I expect we were deemed entertaining yet safe. Just be courteous, have any bags open and ready for inspection, and lay on whatever charm you might have, and you’ll probably get in right up until straight-up closing time, at least if there’s a parade.

On the other hand, I was turned away 20 minutes before regular closing on a Halloween party night. I just wanted to run over to Liberty Square, to pick up an item for someone, and I made this clear at the gate. I was informed the park was already being swept and, in short, to beat it.

I took a trip last year, never knowing about this. Following in a certain someone’s footsteps ;), I was doing some photography after park closing around the hub when the Kiss Goodnight started. Confused and mesmerized by the unexpected Kiss, it really was one of those euphoric Disney moments. Easily one of my favorite moments of that trip. Like you, I really wish more people knew about this; it is such a special moment.

ps – thanks for the compliment in the final paragraph. There really should be secret society… or at least a handshake =P

Do the cast members allow one to slow-walk around the park long enough to see this? Any tips for how not to get pegged as some kind of creepoid and thus getting the bum’s rush (I draw the line at standing on a commode to hide from the custodians)?

I don’t think they usually try to encourage you to go home until at least an hour after park closing. So with the Kiss Goodnight showing at 30 minutes past closing you can easily loiter long enough to see it twice.

We went in January and saw this on the last night of our trip, while our daughter gave us both a hug and a kiss and thanked us for taking her to Disney World. It was a great end of the day/trip.

This really isn’t a hard and fast rule. It’s all dependent upon how many people are in the Emporium. There have been times when we’ve been cleared from the park 35 minutes after close. I’d say the average is about an hour.

Sarah has a good point about WDW being a “theme park”, although I cannot think of a better word.

I’ve tried to formulate into words what it is about Disney that is special to us. After all, we live ~2 hrs from Kings Island and 2.5 hrs from Cedar Point. Either of those places has more “E-ticket” rides than all 4 parks at WDW. But it’s not the same and I’ve given up trying to explain, even to myself.

We’ll be down in just over a week and this is indeed the top of my bucket list for our trip. I’ve never seen and haven’t watched any videos of it so I’ll be surpised (and I’m sure I’ll cry because I’m a sap like that). Can’t wait!

Def. DORK, noun: Someone who has odd interests, and is often silly at times. As I was reading this post, and now while I am writing this comment, I was/am listing to ReedyCreekRadio.com (which is awesome). I know… Disney overload much? Never! You won’t believe it, but I swear on Mickey the “Goodnight Kiss” from Magic Kingdom started playing. Talk about chills… the music alone is enough to make me well up. We have never seen this show and I didn’t even know about it until this post. Once I see this in person I know it will be “Niagara Falls”. That’s why I love Disney. I have been more times than I can count but continue to find new and incredible details. This is definitely going to be on our list of things to do on our next visit!

40 (almost 41) years ago, an adventuresome couple from the dairy farm went to Disney World for their honeymoon. Obviously there was only one park, but we lovebirds loved every bit of the Magic. Forward 25 years later, four children, still dairy farming, when our entire operation went up in flames. We lost our business, cows, feed, and wondered where we go from this situation. We never had the opportunity to take our kids back, so we decided to take a vacation to Disney World after the fire. We stayed at the Magic Kingdom until closing, listenend to the music, dreamed our dreams, wished upon a star, and now, 15 years later, are successful being Dairy Farmers once again. Both my husband and I can tell you exactly where our family was, arms in arms, listening to the wish and goodbye. Of course, we got hooked, and have made many many trips back, in 2014, two times coming up. Thank you, Tom, for the video, to get sentimental.

One of my favorite park moments. I have to agree the videos do not capture the way it makes a Disney fan feel. I am usually sitting at Casey’s waiting on my daughter who is catching a last ride on one of the mountains and it seems just as it about to begin, she will run up and say, “Look Mom, the Kiss” Love it.

Nope! No connection to facebook. You go to https://en.gravatar.com/ and register under the email address that you use to do your commenting and upload a photo there. It won’t go back and add your photo to old comments (such as this one!) but it will use a photo from then on.

We experienced this for the first time on a trip to WDW a few weeks ago. It is definitely an enjoyable (if short) show! I found it more difficult to photograph than I expected, as the castle changed colors fairly quickly. Or maybe I was just distracted watching it so I didn’t realize how long it actually was.

We got to see it probably at least a half dozen times while there, as Magic Kingdom was open later than the other parks almost every night. My photography kept us in the park (as with you guys) till we were the last ones there one night, and the 2nd to last ones there another. There is just something very special about enjoying main street almost on your own and catching the “kiss” right before you are the last ones to leave the park.

This may have already been said in the comments but I couldn’t find it while I was skimming – it is played every 30 minutes, but is the first one 30 minutes AFTER park closing or right AT park closing? Thanks for the post!

Our last trip to Magic we were there from rope drop to kiss! It was a VERY magic day. My sons and I met up with my childhood best friend, whom I hadn’t seen in 12 years, and her family. And as we were leaving the park we stopped to get new ears and have our names put on them, just like I had when my grandparents bought for me at DisneyLand when I was young. I got all teary when picking out our ears. The sweet man working at Ears to You gave my boys and I magical moment cards.

I never get the time to comment here! Its a shame because your blogs really inspire my Disney opinions. Anyway, I HAD to comment on this because it is one of the most relevant Disney topics to me at the moment;

I’m a big fan of WDW photography and you’ve inspired me for sometime to do a ‘closing the park’. I finally managed it this year and whilst trying to take some magical pictures, I was lucky enough to have experienced this wonderful event. I’ve got to be honest and say that I wasn’t fully aware of what it was at the time because I was so wrapped up trying to get my shot. However, I did stop when I noticed the ‘kiss’ taking place and it was very special. I can only describe it as feeling like Walt (or perhaps just the MK park) was personally reaching out to just me. Okay, the park wasn’t busy at this time, but it did feel very personal (spiritual in a Disney way!). And yes, you really have to be there to completely ‘get it’. Thanks for giving me more background on it though. I’m sure next time (as I’m a die hard) I will take it in even more!

As a kid growing up we had 2 tv channels and one of them had the Sunday evening Disney movie, or cartoon. It was a family tradition to watch that every Sunday I mean EVERY Sunday. So when I had the chance as an 8 year old to travel with an uncle and aunt to Disney land in there motorhome I jumped all over that and ever since been hooked. Fast forward 14 Years my brand new bride and myself walk through the gates to disney land and both are tearing up as it had also been her life long dream to get there. Fast forward 6 years The wife and I decide to recreate the month long road trip I did with my uncle and aunt as an 8 year old with our 6 year old and 4 year old daughters. There we are with the girls on our shoulders watching the fireworks above exploding above the castle we are both crying our eyes out AGAIN. We Have taken them to Disney World as well when they were 10 and 8 once again Magical and amazing BUT had no Idea about this Kiss Goodnight. This June we will be going to WDW once more to celebrate our youngest daughter’s 12th birthday and to watch her DANCE in one of the parades, ANOTHER DREAM COME TRUE. After reading this post I can not wait to surpise all of them with this unique experiance thank you so much for sharing it here. Otherwise we would never have heard about it.

We did get to experience this on our last visit to Disney World in September 2012. It was so amazingly wonderful!!! I stood like a little child and could not believe my eyes!!! My children have been to Disney World several times, but had not experienced this with me and it was a wonderful family moment. LOVED IT!!!

I used to work on Main St. USA and the Kiss Goodnight brings back so many amazing memories. I agree wholeheartedly that it’s an amazing way to end your vacation and something that is hard to put into words.

Read today about the Kiss Goodnight on the Moms Chat, emailed my Disney guru, she sent me to your blog. We are 29 days from Disney. This is now on my to do list. I had never heard of it, until today…excited the video was awesome!!! Cannot wait for my daughter to see this we will be exhausted but this is well worth it!!!

So we stayed last night and did get too see the kiss goodnight! I left with tears in my eyes! I think maybe we missed it the last two nights because the park hours were extended an hour during the day. So originally the park was scheduled to close at 11 but stayed open until 12. Just a thought. Thanks for letting us know about this!!

Thanks for writing about this — we just went to Disney World for our honeymoon in May, and made sure to stay to see this. We were the last guests in the park, and it was the perfect end to a magical day. It’s always hard to leave the Magic Kingdom, but having this goodnight made it just that little bit easier.

YES! YES! YES! You have perfectly described what the Kiss Goodnight does to me! I am stopped dead in my tracks when I hear the beginning magical cascade and hear the lilting music. I too get choked up every night I hear it. I LOVE WDW – it is in every ounce of my being. And when I am on Main Street USA on a starlit night I am enchanted. I love to just sit near the castle on a bench and take it all in. So many people coming out of Tomorrow or Adventureland or Liberty Square don’t even pause or look over to the castle on their way out. Seriously? I always say good night castle and stop at the train station and turn around and make a wish that I will be healthy and solvent to make another trip – be it in two weeks or two months. And I live in Chicago! I love the Kiss Goodnight and if they ever decided to do away with it – there is nothing we can do – but I will have the word and music locked away in my heart forever. Thank you for a GREAT post!

I saw this post just a few days before I left on a 14 Day Vacation to Florida. On May 10, 2013 I Opened the Park with the Opening Ceremonies and Closed the Park by Staying for the Good Night Kiss, (Which I had never heard of before this site) and then walking down the MIDDLE of Main Street without stepping off the center line once between Cinderella’s Castle Circle to the Entry Circle. I did have a lot of Clean Up workers wave and tell me to have a good night… So I guess I am not the only one to have ever done that. But I will never forget the Experience of feeling like I had the park to myself and having a personal Goodnight message. Thanks for giving me the hint!!!

My hubby and I are headed to WDW for a long weekend kid-free getaway in early November…so excited about our trip and hoping our kids will eventually forgive them! Planning on a day in Epcot for F&W and a day in MK. We really want to see this while we’re there…but I have one question. If the park is scheduled to close at 9pm that night, but has EMH for 2 hours past closing…will the kiss be at 9:30 or 11:30? I’m fine staying till 11:30, but if it’s at 9:30 I wanna make sure I’m there ready to watch and not on a ride. Thanks so much!

Thank you sooo much for the post! My husband and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary by going to WDW for our 8th time and this is the first time we got to experience the kiss. It is the closest thing to experiencing your first Disney trip again. Such emotion that brings up all those feelings of why we love Walt Disney World!

Tom, just came across this article looking for a similar experience my family and I had back in 2003. My wife and I took our 3 kids (5, 10 and 11 at the time) for their first Disney trip. We were on the last night of our vacation, lingering around the hub, just enjoying the evening and how great of a time we’d had, when we unknowingly got to hear the goodnight kiss. All 5 of us were just blown away and couldn’t have asked for a better ending to a wonderful trip. Except, it only got better…

I think we were actually the very last guests to leave the park and as we passed under the train station, we were met by about 2 dozen CM’s, most with their Mickey hands, and were sent off with a tear jerking rendition of the See you real soon portion of the Mickey Mouse song.

THAT made for the best memory I’ve ever had there.

Maybe there should be a secret handshake and dance for that one!

Thanks again for the great article. It is difficult to convey to those who see it the same way. I still get choked up.

Yes, there is a Welcome Show at the Main Street, USA Train Station about 10 minutes before the Magic Kingdom officially opens. Other parks have their own welcomes, but the one at the Magic Kingdom is really the only one that is worthwhile.

I asked a cast member who was at the Castle entrance about the Kiss Goodnighy and he hadno idea what I was talking about. He said he had never heard of it. So disappointed!! Bext time we go yo the park, we are going to wait to enjoy this experience. Can’t wait!!!

Unfortunately, Cast Members sometimes aren’t the best source of information. Usually, if I ask a question and the Cast Member even LOOKS like they might not know the answer (and instead is just making something up), I’ll ask someone else or consult the internet.

I ask a cast member about the Kiss when I was there too and they had no idea but another cast member overheard us talking and said that during the off season they don’t always do the “Goodnight show” as she called it but to stick around just in case. if they have not done it by 45 mins after the OFFICIALLY listed closing time for that exact day including the extended hours, they wont be doing it that night.

Saw it for the first time on our last trip! So amazing! My husband I have been to Disney many times and never knew this was there! It gave me goosebumps! It will be a must do on all future trips from now on!

I have been to Disney 38 times and will be celebrating our 39th trip this Christmas and I am taking my adopted daughter there for her first visit (she is 7), and I can’t wait to share with her something that has always given me goosies!

We are going in 14.5 days–yes, I’m counting–and this is the #1 thing on my must-do list. I’ve been too many times not to have seen this by now, so I must cross it off my WDW Bucket List. I’m just worried that if DH and I just wait around for this to happen, we’ll get shuffled out by a CM. Am I worrying for nothing or is there a good place to be inconspicuous while we wait?

I have to say I have been to Disney many times as a child and as a teen and it wasn’t until this past family trip at 26 years old that I finally got to experience the Kiss and I have to admit that not only did I get all chocked up then, but just reading the words now brought back that same tightness in my throat and tickle in my eyes. There is something about the magic of Disney that hits right to your heart no matter what your age! I hope everyone gets the chance to experience that first hand!

Well, I just watched your video, and it brought tears to my eyes. We have made ~12-15 trips to DisneyWorld over the yrs. But this time we are taking my Grandson (4.5 yrs) for the first time. I also honeymooned at WDW the yr it opened and have also been to DisneyLand.

I will definitely make sure we stay for this at least one night during our trip in Feb.
Mahalo for sharing,

Tom,
I didn’t know about The Kiss Goodnight until a few months ago when I read about it on this site. We had out Disney trip 2 weeks ago and stayed late to witness it and it was the best way to end the day. I had tears running down my cheeks as I witnessed it.
Do you know when The Kiss Goodnight began? Has it been around for decades or is it fairly recent?

I had the privilege of seeing this on my last trip. I just happened to be talking to another young lady whole taking to opportunity to enjoy a nearly empty park. Turns out she was a former intern and when it started she explained to me what it was. Such a cool experience for sure

I saw/heard it twice on our visit a couple of weeks ago and was trying to act like I wasn’t crying about some voice playing over the speaker, but I totally was. It was my 4-year-old’s first visit and all week he kept saying, “Momma, we are at Disney World.” He was in disbelief that he was really there, and I’ve dreamed of taking him as I love it myself. So when the narrator talked about family and memories, he had me. I wish I could hug Walt! Next to Jesus, I admire what he accomplished more than anyone whose walked the earth. Glad to know the name of this now; I love it even more!

I saw this for the first time on my daughter’s fourth birthday. I didn’t know what I was seeing at the time, just standing there in awe with a small group of onlookers, mouth hanging open and staring at the castle. It was beautiful and I cannot wait to see it again.

We get choked up every time, too. We’re just home from our most recent visit and my daughter and I had hopped into the park for the last hour this past Monday (1/6) when closing was an early 10:00 and to try and stay as late as possible and still be able to catch the monorail back to the Poly. The Kiss Goodnight came on right at 10:30 and I was amazed at how few people were still in the parks at that early hour. I recorded it on my phone, just so I can play it back over and over and get teary eyed every time. It only works if you’ve actually been there in person, first, though.

Is this just at Magic Kingdom or Disneyland as well? We are headed to DL this summer for the first time so it will be 2015 at the earliest until we get back to WDW? We do know about the flag ceremony at DL that we plan to do.

I’m heading to WDW this September for my first visit, and am so glad I’ve seen this post! I am not staying in a Disney hotel so I don’t get the extra Magic Hours. Do they come into play in the evenings too? Eg. will we get kicked out earlier than most people? Any advice would be great

I just stumbled upon your website today while Googling WDW. We are going agian in a few weeks!!! I was fascinated by your Kiss Goodnight article. I didn’t realize this was an official nightly happening. The last time we were there we were leaving late and stopped by Casey’s to take a picture of our kids with the castle in the background when the Kiss started. It was so wonderful and brought tears to my eyes as it does now remembering it. I am so glad I know that we can re-experience it when we return!!! Thank you! (Now I am going to find out what other gems you have in your website.)

Long time reader, first time posting.
Thank you for sharing such great advice Tom; simply outstanding! I too cry like a baby watching Wishes but never have seen the “kiss” and can’t wait until our trip next year.
One question, I’ve read that Disney may not play the “kiss” during non peak times. Does this happen during November?

I’ve only seen this once, and I don’t remember it. Although, I’m pretty sure we are going to see it in our 2015 trip. It sounds really heartwarming. I could probably somehow cry really easily watching this!
– G.H

We just planned our first disney trip as a family:) I am the only one who has been before but it’s been 25 years!!! This article about the kiss goodnight made me literally cry!!! I can’t begin to explain to my husband and kids the magic disney has you feel!!! Walt Disney was an amazing man and this touched me I hope I can get the little ones to stay up late enough to watch this although I’ll probably look crazy with tears running down my face lol